Rebus: Long Shadows: The New Play

Inspector Rebus #21.5

by Ian Rankin, Rona Munro

From the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMESThe stage debut for the legendary detective John Rebus in this brand new, original story by Ian Rankin, written alongside the award-winning playwright Rona Munro.John Rebus is not as young as he was, but his detective instincts have never left him. And after the daughter of a murder victim turns up outside his flat, he's going to need them at their sharpest.Enlisting the help of his old friend DI Siobhan Clarke, Rebus is determined to solve this cold case once and for all. But Clarke has problems of her own, problems that will put her at odds with her long-time mentor and push him into seeking help from his age-old 'Big Ger' Cafferty.This haunting story takes Rebus to places he has never been before, sets him and his long-time foe on a collision course and takes us deeper into one of the most satisfying conflicts in modern fiction.Featuring an introduction from Rankin himself, a Q&A between writers Ian and Rona, an interview with the director, and behind-the-scenes production materials, this book is one Rebus fans will not want to miss out on.

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Fiction, Plays, Theatre, Mystery Thriller

177 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

AKA Jack Harvey.

Born in the Kingdom of Fife in 1960, Ian Rankin graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1982 and then spent three years writing novels when he was supposed to be working towards a PhD in Scottish Literature. His first Rebus novel was published in 1987; the Rebus books are now translated into 22 languages and are bestsellers on several continents.

Ian Rankin has been elected a Hawthornden Fellow. He is also a past winner of the Chandler-Fulbright Award, and he received two Dagger Awards for the year's best short story and the Gold Dagger for Fiction. Ian Rankin is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the universities of Abertay, St Andrews, and Edinburgh.

A contributor to BBC2's Newsnight Review, he also presented his own TV series, Ian Rankin's Evil Thoughts, on Channel 4 in 2002. He recently received the OBE for services to literature, and opted to receive the prize in his home city of Edinburgh, where he lives with his partner and two sons.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/ianrankin

Reviews

[Nat K · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I'm going to hunt this down. I don't forget. I never forget."

We meet up again with John Rebus, Gerard ("Big Ger") Cafferty & Siobhan Clark. The setting is "Edinburgh, a city with its own secrets and foibles and ghosts." Two cold cases rear their ugly heads.

Though long retired, once a copper, always a copper. John Rebus cannot be anything but. He will always mull over cases that haven't been solved. Both for the closure of the victims' families, as well as for his own peace of mind.

Siobhan Clarke (who has risen through the ranks and is up for another promotion), still cares for Rebus. Friends for many years, through thick and thin. Even though he's about to 'drop her in it' yet again. Putting one of the cold cases about to go to trail, in peril.

"And I thought you weren't doing this anymore."
"Doing what?"
"Drinking yourself to sleep in an armchair."

Likewise "Big Ger" (Rebus' nemesis), will always remain on the other side of the law. A gangster who ran Edinburgh back in the day, he still has his fingers in several pies.

"Places to go, people to see, you know how it is. Keeping busy."

"Big Ger" is about to have an important role in one of the cold cases, appearing as a "star witness" for the defence. But can Ger be trusted to be telling the truth, or does he have ulterior motives?

"A Cold War. Mutually assured destruction."

In many respects, Rebus & Cafferty are two sides of the same coin. Both men not quite able to reconcile that their glory days may be behind them. Nor able to let sleeping dogs lie. Both have inner demons that continue to haunt them, making them unwilling to forget the past.

The dialogue moves at a cracking pace. Neither Rebus nor Cafferty have lost their ability for a biting put down, the scathing one liner. Or a bit of argy-bargy, though they aren't as young or as fit as they used to be. They may have gotten older, but time certainly hasn't mellowed them, or their resentments.

"Twenty-five years. Fucking flown by eh? You and me, head to head, think we've finally got a winner eh?"

The title is interesting. To me it means that the older we get, the longer the shadows we cast. Regrets, wondering if things could have been done differently. What if, what if...

"As we started, so we'll finish."

*** Ian Rankin has co-written this stage play with Rona Munro. Another winner featuring John Rebus. ***

I can easily imagine how this would play out on stage (pardon the pun). I could absolutely visualize it, and would love to see it (please bring it to Oz, Ian!).

It's possible that many people may find reading a "play" to be somewhat daunting. Similar to poetry (the fear of not understanding it). Put those misapprehensions aside. The formatting of the text is clear and easy to follow. This is pure Rebus.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the hugely disappointing new Rebus novel, A Heartful of Headstones, I felt the need to read a decent story by Ian Rankin so I rerturned to one of my favouites. I last read this play in 2018 & saw it performed on stage as well. Superb dialogue & a great story featuring John Rebus, Siobhan Clarke & Big Ger Cafferty. Far better than Ian Rankin's last few Rebus novels.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've long been a fan of Ian Rankin's brilliant Scottish detective John Rebus. Having read all the novels (& seen the TV series) I was intrigued to see how this stage version of a new Rebus story would work. Well, it worked brilliantly. Regular characters Siobhan Clarke & Big Ger' Cafferty join the retired detective in a thrilling cold case investigation.
Working with co author Rona Munro, Rankin pulls off some wonderful moments. I love the idea of Rebus talking to victims who are long dead, & how this was staged simply yet effectively.
With a play there is a huge amount of dialogue & as I read it I found it hard to get Ken Stott's voice out of my head; though that's not a bad thing as his interpretation of Rebus on television was superb.
I came to Long Shadows with high expectations & Ian Rankin delivered on every single one of them, from a great plot to wonderful characterisation. I loved the play so much that as soon as I finished reading it I booked tickets to see it! So, at the end of November my wife & I will take the train to Guildford, check into our hotel & see Rebus live on stage. As Blackadder might have said: I am as excited as an excited person with a special reason to be excited.

[[ J o ] · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collaboration between Scotland's finest Crime Writer Ian Rankin and a playright who has written for both the classic and modern Doctor Who sees retired dectective Rebus back at doing what he does best: getting in everyone's way and yet still somehow being amazing, despite not being able to walk up a flight of stairs without collapsing.

oh, where to begin. I am thoroughly disappointed in this. In fact, I would say I was completely disappointed if it wasn't for the fact that I love John Rebus. Whilst it's important to realise that this is a play and-as Rankin confesses during the introduction himself-it is set in a slightly parallel universe to what the novels are set. Whilst we may consider that, we may also feel incredibly let down.

Maybe it was because the greatness of the novels is Rankin's writing and Rebus's thought-process. You don't get that here, obviously. It's impossible to do so. But even then, seeing the ghosts in the flesh (as it were) as Rebus undoubtedly sees them in his mind every day was a good theatre device, but it felt... cold. The whole thing just felt dead and cold.

If you take it as a play, on it's own without any of the Rebus history, it is actually a nice play. Written well with what looks like good staging: I'm sure it made a wonderful spectacle. But if you add in the history of Rebus and then you add in the love for Rebus. It just doesn't hold up at all. It can't possibly, and as much as I should be thinking of it as a piece of theatre and possibly as a standalone piece, I can't. There is no Rebus magic here.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rebus: Long Shadows: The New Play (Inspector Rebus, #21.5) by Ian Rankin.

First let me add that Rona Munro adapted/co-authored it for a play. I enjoyed it but at the same time found it sadly lacking. It showed nothing of Rebus's health declining especially when climbing the tenement steps to his apartment. This was a major mistake. An important character absent from this story was Brillo, Rebus's dog. Brillo played a major role in their walks outside together. Those walks allowed Rebus to put on his thinking cap in solving crimes as well as observing clues he may have otherwise overlooked.
I did enjoyed the bantering between Big Ger and Rebus as usual. It hit the spot when Rebus reversed Cafferty's scheme against him and it worked!
I enjoyed this short skit but it in no way could ever compare to any of the Rebus novels.

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Meadows

Description: John Rebus is not as young as he was, but his detective instincts have never left him. And after the daughter of a murder victim turns up outside his flat, he's going to need them at their sharpest.

Enlisting the help of his old friend DI Siobhan Clarke, Rebus is determined to solve this cold case once and for all. But Clarke has problems of her own, problems that will put her at odds with her long-time mentor and push him into seeking help from his age-old adversary: 'Big Ger' Cafferty.

This haunting story takes Rebus to places he has never been before, sets him and his long-time foe on a collision course and takes us deeper into one of the most satisfying conflicts in modern fiction.

Featuring an introduction from Rankin himself, a Q&A between writers Ian and Rona, an interview with the director, and behind-the-scenes production materials, this book is one Rebus fans will not want to miss out on.
The gutters ran with IPA and single malt. The fatted calf was put in a bun. Songs of triumph were sung. Aye. It was a result. A bit of one. A crumb of comfort.

John Rebus Retired detective
Heather Ross Daughter of unsolved murder victim Maggie Towler
Andy Neighbour to John Rebus
Maggie Towler Heather Ross’s mother
Siobhan Clarke Detective Inspector
Angela Simpson Cold case murder victim
Barman A barman
Charlie Informant
Big Ger Cafferty Crime boss of Edinburgh, long-term nemesis to John Rebus
Mordaunt Suspected murderer of Angela Simpson
Detective A police detective
Technician A police technician

Opening: Act One: The stairwell at Arden Street

HEATHER, a very young woman, is slumped on the stair. She’s dressed for a night out, revealing but not startling clothes, typical Saturday night girl out clubbing with mates. She’s plugged into her music. Now she sings along, a few lines, pure and accapella. The track she hears is audible only to her. She stops singing, moving gently to the song. She’s mellow and relaxed with something but not obviously under the influence. REBUS is coming up the stairs. He sees HEATHER. He checks for a moment.

Of course there is a soundtrack:

Peter Frampton - Show Me the Way (Maggie's Song)
Sheena Easton (Big Ger's fave)
Crowded House - Weather With You
Lines On My Face / Peter Frampton
Show Me the Way (Heather's Song)
The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil - Live in St Louis
My Way

[Alan (the Lone Librarian rides again) Teder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tartan Noir on Stage
Review of the Orion Books hardcover (2018)

Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus has been dueling with the criminal empire of Morris Ger Cafferty since at least Rebus #5 The Black Book (1993) and this stage play, based on a new original story, takes the conflict into the Edinburgh cop's retirement. The new play is a collaboration with playwright Rona Munro and is a commissioned work for the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

The staging includes ghostly manifestations of murder victims which would otherwise have been recriminations of Rebus' conscious if only left on the printed page. The Long Shadows are the past history where the policeman and criminal hold onto secrets which they still hope to turn to their advantage in the future. The conclusion here implies a stalemate that is only another stage in an ongoing battle.

Rebus: Long Shadows isn't numbered in the conventional Rebus series, but would seem to position itself as #22.5 in the sequence.


Charles Lawson (Left) as John Rebus and John Stahl (Right) as Morris Ger Cafferty from the Birmingham Repertory Theatre production Sept. 2018. Photograph by Robert Day. Image sourced from The Guardian review.

Trivia and Link
Rebus: Long Shadows was premiered by Birmingham Repertory Theatre on Sept. 20, 2018 and toured the UK in later 2018. See the Birmingham Rep page here.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rebus: Long Shadows: The New Play. by Ian Rankin & playwright Rona Munro.

The stage debut for the legendary detective John Rebus in this brand new, original story by Ian Rankin, written alongside the award-winning playwright Rona Munro.

Rebus is retired but haunted by unsolved crimes that lead to the deaths of two young women....they appear to him in his mind and push him to attempt to find answers, when the daughter of one of the murdered women approaches Rebus. Siobhan and Cafferty play major roles in this play! Rehashing cold crimes from 25 years ago and trying to convict a big criminal today. While truly wanting as much to convict Cafferty finally! Side stories and grievances....Siobhan having challenges with Rebus and her chance for promotion....all well plotted and quite a different read for Rebus fans. The stage production will be interesting.

The discussion between writer and playwright at the end was fascinating as was the article with the director and other behind the scene details about bringing a story to the stage... I found the difference between novel writing and playwrighting fascinating. And the difference adaptation of a novel to film compared to for the stage / theater! Very interesting. Including set designs....

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

An aging John Rebus is haunted when he encounters the daughter of a murder victim.

Investigating the case pits him against DI Clarke and his former nemesis, Big Ger Cafferty.

Rankin and Munro's script perfectly encapsulates Rebus at this stage of his life and the story rages even in script form.

[John of Canada · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I enjoy reading plays, and I've always liked Rebus. A fun thing to do is read a book with no quotation marks in the dialogue Miriam Toews or Cormac McCarthy for example, and then read a play where you know exactly where the dialogue and speaker starts and finishes.

[David]

An interesting exploration of Rebus, intended to be something a novel could not portray. I’ll need a second read to be sure. [from later] Challenging to stage, but, I think, ultimately achieves what it set out to do. Yet another series of wrenching twists in the ongoing saga of Rebus v. Cafferty.

[Ken French · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the Rebus novels, so I was curious how the character would translate to a script. I haven't seen the play, so perhaps it comes across better on stage, but I found it only scratched the surface of what makes the interplay among Rebus, Siobhan, and Big Ger interesting. And being a play, you get none of the brooding Edinburgh scenery.

[Miriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This play diverges slightly from the universe the Rebus novels are set in. It's still recognisably Rebus though, facing off against Cafferty and his own tendency to break the rules. Siobhan Clarke gets caught in the crossfire, as she usually does. Her role was a little too small and passive for my taste in this story existing more as a chess piece to be pushed around by Rebus and Cafferty than as an independent person with considerable will and investigative powers of her own, as she does in the books.
Nevertheless the mystery is enjoyable enough.

[Alex Doenau · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am required by law to read any Rebus stuff that comes my way, because Rebus is my friend. In the intro to Long Shadows, Ian Rankin admits that this play is a sort of adjacent universe Rebus with no bearing on canon.

It's a play that's not up to much, and it doesn't quite fit the conception that readers might have had of its characters: Rebus went a step farther than he likely might have in reality, Cafferty isn't careful enough, and Siobhan is there. Maybe actors could bring this work to life, but some plays jump off the page and others don't seem like they need to be staged.

Rebus: Long Shadows is one for completionists, but at least it was never as féted as The Cursed Child.

[Wendy Hearder-moan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It felt odd to be reading a play instead of watching a performance but I was pleasantly surprised to find that a Rebus story could be told so well in such a condensed format. The characters and plot translate well and there is a satisfactory conclusion that is pure Rebus.

[Michael Romo · Rating 4 out of 5]

As you may have been able to tell I love Ian Rankin and his Rebus series. This is a new foray for me as it is a play co-written with Rona Munro. The Rebus stories are heavy on personalities and this play is no different. I enjoyed it as much as a reverse novel.

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately this is Rebus light. Also, not that credible. Siobhan would have figured out what Rebut had against Cafferty in an instance and had that scarf DNA tested. Maybe a better play than a book but I'm not buying a ticket.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story! I really liked the additional information included with this one about how it came about even though I'd read or watched something with Ian Rankin about it beforehand. This would be great to see in the theater, which I doubt will happen in middle America anytime soon unfortunately.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not overly keen on reading plays. This one was OK, I could easily visualize the scenes and the characters of Rebus, Siobhan and Cafferty were bang on. But the story seemed like a repeat of one of the novels, or at least parts of one.

[D.N]

Thought provoking play...

...which gives you a better insight into the relationship between Rebus and Big Ger. The understanding of Rebus's nemesis, thinking he is untouchable, and the way Rebus deals with him through his thought process keeps you hooked to the end.

[Alison Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short play which sees Rebus face some ghosts. Enjoyed this book but was not the best book I have read.

[Nyssy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always IR was suburb in his story telling! 😁💥💥💥💥💥 five exploding stars 🌟

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

[Alex Léger · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new way of taking in Rebus. Thoroughly enjoyable, albeit you lose some of the grit because the environment isn't as described as well.

[Jt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have given this 5 stars but for the damn typos. Don’t publishers hire copyeditors anymore?

[Gaby Meares · Rating 4 out of 5]

One for the Rebus fans - plays always make for a quick read, and Rankin's introduction and the Q & A between Rankin and the playwright Rona Munro are revealing.

[Sally · Rating 2 out of 5]

I find it difficult to enjoy reading plays, so perhaps it's me. This is the only Rebus I won't be keeping to reread.

[David Highton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A play written for the stage (not adapted) featuring the retired Rebus. Very well constructed.

[Martin Curran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will be an unpopular opinion but I think more novel series should randomly release a play as part of the series. Harry Potter is the only other example I can think of.

[Ruby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good, a bit hard to follow on occasion but if you’re focused and into the plot it’s a really decent read. I’m sure it would be great to watch as a put together play.